Sonora, and the Scroll of Alexandria

by Travis Hall

  “Great. Now what?” Katie said.

  “Well,” he said with a smirk, “Yeti did teach you guys how to bubble jump, right?”

  “Yeah, but I suck at it!” Katie said.

  “Katie, we don’t have a choice, so you can either stay behind or improve rather quickly,” Mr. Swan said.

  Apprehensively, they prepared themselves for the jump. Mr. Swan went first and skillfully launched himself over the ravine. He slowed his momentum with a hadron bubble as he landed. Obviously their teacher had done bubble jumps many times before. Allora went next, pulling in the hadrons from the cave. She ran forward and then shot hadrons down into her legs as she jumped. Her feet lifted onto an invisible field of energy, as if landing on a trampoline. Then the force beneath her launched her into the air. She flailed, awkwardly flying across the deep crevice. Luckily, Allora was able to swing her arms to balance her body, pushing the hadrons down through her legs as she flew toward the ledge. Mr. Swan caught her as she landed, pushing them both back against the cavern wall.

  “Nice job,” Mr. Swan said.

  “Yeah, right,” Allora said.

  Tanner and Dax followed, landing just as awkwardly as Allora had. They all stared back at Katie, who paced along the edge of the ravine, looking down at the blackness below.

  “You can do it, Katie,” Allora said, trying to instill some confidence in her reluctant best friend.

  For a few minutes, Katie contemplated the jump. Finally she stepped back, preparing to make the leap. They stood still, staring at Katie as she ran forward and slightly cringing as she got to the edge. Something went terribly wrong as Katie was launched into the air. Her body flipped backward as she spun forward.

  “She’s not going to make it!” Allora screamed.

  With only moments to react, Dax became frantic. Allora glanced at him in the seconds before Katie lunged into the black abyss. His eyes grew wide with a scary determination. He pulled his hands back, and Allora felt an energy that she had never felt before. The ground beneath them jerked as if they were on a moving platform. Dax’s body emanated a green hue, and then the ledge where they were standing shuddered and moved out from the wall. Off balance, they all fell back as the ledge extended out into the ravine right underneath Katie. Dax caught her, and they tumbled into the others and smashed into the cavern wall. Prying themselves from the pile, they checked on Katie, who looked to be unconscious from the fall.

  Dax laid her down gently and pulled the hair from her face. Then he shot a spark into her abdomen. Katie jolted awake.

  “Ow!” she said.

  “Yeah, well, it serves you right!” Dax said. “Next time maybe you should train harder.”

  He got up and stomped into the dark opening on the right side of the ledge. Allora glanced over to Mr. Swan, who had the same perplexed expression.

  “How did he do that?” Mr. Swan asked.

  “He’s a fermion as well,” Allora responded. “So is Katie.”

  “I don’t get it,” Katie said, unaware of what her brother had done. “What happened?”

  “Never mind,” Allora said, pulling Katie from the ground. “We should go.”

  Following Dax into the tunnel, they moved along the dark corridor with only the wall to guide them. They stopped at arching golden double doors.

  “Mors Tyrannis,” Mr. Swan read aloud from the words engraved in the top of the archway.

  “What does that mean?” Allora asked.

  “Death to tyranny,” Mr. Swan said.

  Allora placed the jade orb into the round indent in the middle of the crack between the two doors.

  “Here goes nothing,” she said, sparking the orb.

  The cracks in the doors lit up, glowing gold in the dim light of the cave. A clicking sound came from the hinges, followed by the sound of grinding gears. Dust blew out from the cracks, and the heavy golden doors swung outward. The stench of mold, mildew, and dirt escaped the dark. The familiar glow of firelight never appeared. They stared into the blackness, wondering whether to move.

  “Come on,” Mr. Swan said, taking a torch to the fire along the wall. He entered the dark room slowly. They were only able to see a few feet in front of them, but the area seemed expansive. On either side were large marble pillars extending to a ceiling that couldn’t be seen. Every step was heavy, like they had weights on their ankles. On either side were half-built spaceships covered in roots and sand. The floor was littered with metal parts, and it was like they were stepping through a factory. The putrid smell became more organic, like the stench of death.

  Mr. Swan stopped suddenly.

  “What’s wrong?” Tanner asked.

  The flame of the torch danced, blowing slightly in the darkness. Mr. Swan swung around. “Run!”

  They picked up their feet, sprinting through the unknown. Allora turned her head to see a gigantic figure crashing through the marble pillars as it chased its prey. A cloud of dust trailed behind them. The creature’s silhouette gained ground. A pair of red eyes bobbed above them.

  “What is that?” Allora said.

  “A chenoo!” Mr. Swan replied. “I met one of those in Peru last year.”

  “What do we do then?” Katie asked.

  “Pray,” Dax responded.

  Mr. Swan handed the torch to Allora.

  “Keep running as fast as you can,” he said, disappearing into the blackness to the left of them.

  Allora handed the torch to Katie and then shot a few hadron bursts at the chenoo. The glowing purple balls of energy bounced off the creature’s skin. The chenoo seemed to be covered in rocks, which gave it an impenetrable shield against attacks. It had no neck and an oblong head that stretched across its shoulders. As it swung its arms, Allora could only see stubs for hands, with no sign of fingers. The chenoo swung its stubbed arms downward. Allora pushed Katie, who bounced off one of the marble pillars. The creature again swung to the right, crashing into the pillar as Allora slipped onto her butt. Shards of marble exploded as the chenoo relentlessly smashed the pillar, trying to get to Allora. Tanner dove onto the ground, pulling Allora behind the wrecked pillar as the creature smashed the ground.

  Just then Mr. Swan jumped out from the darkness and leapt onto the chenoo’s head. Pulling hadrons, he shot a burst into the creature’s eyes. Flailing blindly, the chenoo swung around, tossing Mr. Swan into a pillar. His body slumped upon hitting the hard marble. Thrashing violently, the chenoo stumbled around, swinging its arms. Dust and rock exploded in every direction.

  Crawling on the ground, Allora and Tanner found the twins, who were trying to help Mr. Swan.

  “He’s unconscious,” Dax said as a large slab of ceiling dropped from above, shattering on the ground next to them. “We have to get him out of here before that thing brings this whole place down on top of us.”

  They grabbed Mr. Swan by his shirt and dragged him along the ground in the dark. The torch illuminated the creature as it kept up its violent thrashing. They could hear the roof cracking above them.

  “We gotta move!” Dax yelled.

  Allora got up and created a hadron ball in her hands to guide them forward. Pieces of rock crashed onto the ground. The ceiling was caving in. The marble pillars began to burst, unable to hold the weight of the roof. Up ahead there was a golden door with a round indentation in the middle. Allora pulled the jade orb from her pocket placed it in the door, and they all jumped through as the entire ceiling gave way, crashing down on the chenoo.

  Seeing the familiar stone pillars, Allora sparked the dome top. A trail of fire crawled along the ground, climbing up the Romanesque pillars and jumping to bronze basins that burst into flames. They stood at the foot of a grandiose marble building that resembled the Pantheon. Climbing the steps, they walked through an arching doorway into a massive room filled with all sorts of ancient items. Lining the walls were statues, books, golden plates, orbs, paintings, slabs of hieroglyphics, jewelry, vases, pots, and shelves of scrolls. As they moved between tables of coins, goblets,
and candlesticks, in the middle of the building was a round platform that seemed somewhat out of place. Allora noticed a small, round indent on the panel at the base of the platform. Pulling the jade orb from her pocket, she contemplated her next move.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Dax said while leaning Mr. Swan against one of the stone pillars in the interior of the dilapidated building.

  “We didn’t come all this way for nothing, right?”

  She gently placed the orb into the socket and stepped back. Upon the platform, a hologram appeared. An amazingly realistic image of a beautiful woman took form. She wore an elegant white toga, sandals, and a laurel wreath upon her head. Her flowing brunet hair hung at her shoulders, and her warm smile gave away her benevolence.

  “Hello, Allora,” the woman said.

  Allora stepped forward. “How do you know my name? Who are you?”

  “I am the library’s interactive construct. I have been designed to store all the information of the past. My visual characteristics are based off my creator, whose name was Athena. I know your name because you have created a synaptic link with the key that you have placed in the activation portal. It is able to download, filter, and process the information stored in your mind, including a link to memories, language, thoughts, and even feelings.”

  “So then you know why we are here.”

  “You are here because you seek answers. What I can tell you is a story. It starts with a boy. This boy was banished to this world ages ago. He was the son of a king, but he was dishonored in battle and sentenced to be executed. He escaped his execution and exiled himself on Earth. His name was Zeus. He was a very powerful and gifted young man, but also arrogant and spoiled. He lacked compassion until he fell in love with a human. That love grew. The overwhelming confusion that he felt plagued him, and he eventually questioned his purpose.”

  Tanner turned his head sharply, peering out into the dark, ancient city. His eyebrow curved down, and his fist clenched as he took a step toward the archway.

  “Kronos, seeing Zeus’s power on Earth diminish, sent in his assassins to rid him of his troubles. These assassins killed Zeus’s love and put him close to death as he tried to save her. After being saved from death, Zeus formed a legion of warriors, outcasts of Sonora who had been exiled on Earth. These warriors included Poseidon, Apollo, Ares, Demeter, Artemis, Hermes, and my creator, Athena. They would join other rebel groups around Earth. A nasty war pushed the Titans from Earth, leaving Zeus victorious. Zeus’s father, Kronos, retaliated, and Earth was consumed in fire. Their only hope was a secret pact with the Titans’ enemy: the Warlocks of Sonora. Kronos had been battling the Warlocks of the north for years.”

  Tanner slowly stepped closer to the archway, his eyes squinting in the dim light.

  “Dude?” Dax asked, turning to notice his friend’s slow stride.

  “With this new alliance, Zeus was eventually able to fight off the Titan invaders and push Kronos near defeat. What they didn’t know was that Kronos had a weapon of immense power. Forged by both science and magic, this weapon had the capability of destroying worlds. The weapon was lost in the destruction of the island city of Atlantis.”

  “So that’s what they’re searching for,” Katie said.

  “What are you doing?” Dax whispered as Tanner stopped at the entrance to the building.

  Allora thought about what the computer had just said, unaware of what the boys were doing.

  “What is the Eye of the Titans?”

  “It was a device created by an ancient Warlock alchemist and scientist called Ardemus. He meant for it to counter the effects of the weapon used during the Titan Wars.”

  Tanner’s eyes widened as he slowly stepped backward. He spun around, his face looking frightened.

  “I think it’s time to leave.”

  Dax looked over his shoulder and saw numerous smoky shadows moving quickly through the streets.

  “So then how do I use it?” Allora asked, unwilling to flinch.

  “That data is unavailable.”

  “What do you mean ‘unavailable’?”

  “All data regarding the use of the Eye of the Titans was either deleted or never inputted into my memory.”

  Tanner grabbed Allora by the shoulder and said, “We gotta go now!”

  “No, I have one more question.”

  “We don’t have time,” Tanner said, yanking Allora from the podium.

  Mr. Swan began to stir and moan as distant sounds of rustling echoed into the chamber.

  Dax and Katie grabbed Mr. Swan and pulled him up.

  “Where is the Scroll of Alexandria?” Allora yelled while being dragged away.

  Suddenly a hadron burst exploded the bottom of the platform, destroying the device that displayed the woman. The three of them spun around as a platoon of men dressed in hooded cloaks, smoke billowing from the inside, surrounded their position. The creatures had their pistols aimed ahead, prepared to fire. Allora had her hands out to shield against an attack, but the shadow gang just remained steady, not moving an inch. From behind the line of smoky, shadowed men, a tall figure draped in a hooded black robe moved forward. Allora squinted her eyes in the dull firelight, trying to get a glimpse of the person’s face, but the hooded figure was wearing a black ceramic mask.

  “Give me the jade orb,” the hooded figure said in a deep, mechanical voice as if he had a synthesizer manipulating the tone.

  “Fat chance, freak,” Dax said, pulling out a throwing knife.

  The hooded figure motioned with his right hand, which was covered with a large black glove. From behind him, a very large man moved forward, clutching a girl tightly around her throat.

  “Katie!” Dax yelled, moving forward with a glowing green knife pulled back above his head. The line of shadowed men cocked their pistols. Katie wiggled in the large, muscular man’s arms but couldn’t get free.

  “Give me the jade orb now, or she dies!” the hooded figure said, his synthesized voice booming in the ancient domed building.

  “And if we do, will you let us go?” Tanner asked, his sword readied at his side.

  “You will not be harmed by anyone here,” the hooded figure said, stepping forward with a hand outstretched. “I promise.”

  The large man holding Katie pulled out a knife with his free hand. Allora stared at the steely weapon, squeezing her fists. She looked around, trying to formulate a plan, but there was no choice. She went to the platform, pulled the jade orb from the activation socket, and stomped back toward the hooded figure.

  “Same time,” Allora said, motioning her head toward Katie. Mr. Swan had woken up and was realizing his environment.

  The large man walked forward and tossed Katie on the ground next to Mr. Swan as Allora tossed the jade orb to the hooded figure. He examined the artifact, turning it over with his gloved hands.

  “Where is the destination cube?”

  “We don’t know,” Allora said, backing up and helping Katie to her feet.

  “Where did you find the orb?”

  “Shangri-La,” Allora said after a short pause.

  The hooded figure remained quiet, standing ominously for a minute until it turned around and parted the shadow gang with the jade orb in hand.

  “Leave them,” it said while exiting the building.

  The shadowed men slowly walked backward and followed the mysterious figure.

  “We have to go after him,” he exclaimed, getting up from his knees and sprinting out of the building. When they got outside, they followed the trail of glowing firelight that was running through the ancient city. Large blocks of stone riddled the ground, and the buildings were broken, like the remnants of a native ghost town. The firelight ahead disappeared, vanishing into a dark room. As they got closer, an explosion blew them backward, knocking everyone to the ground.

  Suddenly, small cracks began to run up the walls and then burst open. Sand started to pour rapidly into the chamber. Shelves collapsed from the weight of the sand, and s
tatues fell, shattering on the ground. Piles of sand filled the ancient city as more cracks opened up through the protective dome above.

  Allora grabbed her ears, which were still ringing from the explosion. Her head pounded as she got to her feet. The constant swishing of falling sand was becoming increasingly stressful as they searched for a way out. They pulled Mr. Swan from underneath the rising sand, trying to revive him. Allora slapped him, causing him to moan. His eyes kept rolling in the back of his head as he tried to regain consciousness.

  Shards of rock, stone, and sand dropped from the crater as the entire dome broke apart. They had to dodge the falling shards that rained down sporadically. The city was filling with sediment as the water started to trickle down. First it was in the form of clay and mud, and then came a huge rush of water that crashed down on the center city hall, destroying the buildings with the weight of the newly made waterfall. A wall of water rushed toward them, taking them off their feet. The hole in the ceiling got bigger, dropping everything from above. Allora dove down into the water, trying the escape the falling debris. A large rock fell on top of her ankle, pinning her to the ground. She pulled aggressively, trying to get out from underneath. Panic increased, not allowing her to focus. Tanner swam down, lifted the rock enough to get her loose, and grabbed her arm, helping her to the surface.

  “Thanks,” Allora said, sucking in air.

  The chamber had filled halfway now with water, but none of the drains were activated. There was a faint light coming from one of the glowing orbs that floated in the air, but visibility was minimal. They scanned the surface of the dirty water, searching for the others. Dax and Katie popped up, but Mr. Swan was nowhere to be found.

  “Where is Swan?” Allora asked.

  “We lost him,” Dax said.

  Tanner dove down into the dark water for a minute and then popped up.

  “I can’t see a thing down there.”

  “Now what?” Katie asked.

  “We can’t just leave Swan,” Allora said as they bobbed in the dark water.

  “We have no choice,” Tanner said with a determined look. “He wouldn’t want us to die here.”